Method of inserting drawstrings within a hemmed material



E. E. CHAMPLIN 2,511,247 METHOD OF INSERTING DRAWSTRINGS WITHIN A HEMMED MATERIAL Filed March 18, 1949 June 13, 1950 1 4 .1. Fly. 2'

I EveretiE 0/1/7513 ms Attorneys Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES ATENT" oFFicE Application March '18, 1943', SeriaiLNfo. 82,1221

4. Claims. (Cl. 112-262).:

inventionrelates to production of a hemmed finish around an end of material of tubnlar form witha draw string loopf-recly'included within the hem while the ends thereof emergefrom. the hem through a suitably placed eyelet. An exam-pleof useful application of the arrangementof materials indicated is found in the hemmed and-"taped bottom-andsleeves of infants sleeping-gowns.

Primarily the object of the invention is to provide a method particularl designed toiacili tate the production at the end of a tubular portion of fabric of a hem with a-ta-pe included therein, with the free ends of said tapeemergingthroug-h an eyelet in the margin of fabric included in the: hem. In accordance with the invention. a loop of a tape is inserted through an eyelet in the tubular fabric. Next the loop" may be enlarged until itconforms to the periphery of the tubular fabric, leaving the free ends of the tape extending from the loop through the eyelet. Then a hem fold formed at the end of the fabric with the loop of tape" lying within the fold, and the fabric" isstitched to form-a hemcontaining the loop of tape asadraw string, 7

For amore detailed-explanation of my method, and an illustration of apparatus by which it may be practiced, reference may be had to the accom pan-ying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is'a-front view of a sewing machine showing-certain devicesassociatedtherewith, use -l mi in practicing the method ofm-y invention;

Fig. .2 'is-a top view of the machine shown in Fig; with some parts removed for purposes of clearness;

Figs. 3, 4-, 5, and 6' are diagrammatic views illustrating progressive steps comprising apre-- ferred form of my method for forming a hem withdraw string included therein;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged-detail view oi atape guiding finger. V

For disclosure of the method. comprising my invention, reference is made to Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, in which an endof tubular material is i'ndicated by ,W. lfhis tubularly formed articlemayconsist of fabric woven or knitted in tubular form or of flat section or sections sewed together lengthwise inthe process of forming a garment such. as. a skirt, shirt or infants Sleeping, gown. A com;- plet'edend" of'such a garinent'i's indicated inFig; 6', where the hem l encloses a loop 2 of a length of tape 3, of which the free ends emerge from a hole or eyelet 4 to serve their capacity in a well known arrangement which includes the extensively empioyeddraw string as a means'oi' garmentadjust ment. I y

' To produce the resultindicatedin Fig. 6=,- ac cord in-g tonay-- improved method, a pieceoi tape 3 ofsu-itabl'e length is passed from the exterior to the interior of the tube W through eyelet t in loop iormas showniii Fig. 31. This loopv 2' is then enlarged to suitably match circumference the: perimeteror' tnbe W '(s'ee Fi'g 4 A hemfold 5 (see Fig. 5) is then ma'de including the expanded loops within the told This hem told is preferably made by forming adouble iolti; so that mar-- gin h-adjaoentedge 1 is folded at 8- to overlie a band Q- of the tubular fabric, whichband .9 is. ini'oided ati fl -to-over1ie the tubular fabric; In: this way; three thicknesses are formed with loop 2 between margin E -and hanet =9. Next, edge 'i is stitched to: fold l'il toform the hem with loop 2 securedthereina Finally the-hen'i -is turned from the outside; as shown Fig.5; to'the-i'nsicle, as shown in -Figa 6.

putting intopractice the-method comprising my invention asewing machine suitable for con-- ven-ientlystitchi ng thefabric may be oi the I wellknown Morrow type provided. withguiding; gauging and trinm-ri n 1 deviceseffiectivein thezior mati'on ofa bl i'nd -stitch hemi Furthermore there attain-an evennessmay be asseciated with thesewing machine men;- tioned, means'adapted 'to facilitate certain of the s teps -periormed in the method comprising my m verrtion.

Eteferri 'ng to Figs 1* and, 2 the stitch forming. mech-an m of the" oversearrri ng machineillustrated includes the needle l t. Thiscooperates with loopers (not-shown) and stitch finger 12- of needle plate i3 to' fo'rm overecigestitching in a manner weil knownl. Serving-to support the work: W (see Fig. 2) a platett -suppleinents the needle .pi'ate lfi the formation of ablind stitchhem, uniform 'y= in the wicith oi hem and accuracy in advancing the deded'ge of the fabric to thestit'ching mechanism are respectively control-led by a hem fold gauge as It and an edge g-uideas it. Forftriinrningthe' free-edge ii -of fabric to V I thereof suitable torstitc-hingit tixthe-uride'rl i ng bricfolri It; trimming-cutters IQ-and it are p died-"for" simultaneous operation with therstitchingfand in' close proximity "to ti'ieneed1e1' "Fora more detailed disclosure off-arr oyeredge' :sewing machinejequipped with adj uncts effective for blind" stitch hemming reference may be had to U. S. Patent No. 1,649,360, issued to Joseph M. Morrow, November 15, 1927, or to U. S. Patent No. 1,941,452, issued to John M. Wash- 55 burn, January 2,1934,

Serving a purpose that will hereinafter more fully appear, a tape finger 2| provided with slot 22, is movably supported at the front of the machine frame by means including a bracket 23 having upstanding aligned flanges 24 and 25. A bar 26 provided with elongated slots 21 and 28 is slidably supported on flanges 24 and 25 by respective stud screws 29 and 30. Th finger 2| is secured to sliding bar 26 as by screws 3|. Bar or slide 26 is endwise movable to opposite extreme limits permitted by the length of slots 21 and 28. With slide 26 moved to its forward limit, finger 2| is located in the position, relative to work W, in which it is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and in its rearward limit the finger is in the position in which it is shown in full lines in said figure. Normally the slide 25 together with finger 2| is held in the forward position by a spring 32 which is attached at one end to an eye stud 33 extended from fiange 24 and at the other end to an eye stud 34 extended from the rear end of the slide. Means for holding the bar 26 in its retracted position against the tension of spring 32 may be any suitable device such as a knee lever or foot treadle (not shown) to which the bar may be attached as by chain 35.

In carrying out my improved method with the above-described sewing machine, tape engaging finger 2| while in its retracted position (see full lines in Fig. 2) may be advantageously utilized in threading tape 3 through eyelet 4 as with a bodkin. Also finger 2|, when in its forward position (see dotted lines Fig. 2), serves as a guide for keeping the tape as it passes therethrough properly aligned during stitching of the hem fold edge as the Work advances past the hem fold gauge l5, edge guide It and trimming cutters l9 and 20.

The sequence in which the tape engaging finger 2| is made use of is as follows: with the finger in its retracted position, a tape of suitable length is inserted in slot 22 approximately midway of its length; the work is passed over the finger through eyelet 4 beyond slot 22 while the bight of the tape is engaged in the slot to thereby form loop 2 within the tube comprising the work; the finger is disengaged from the loop of tape; the loop is adjusted and the work formed in a hem fold thereabout; the adjusted material is applied to the stitching and associated mechanism; the finger, under the urge of spring 32 is then permitted to advance to its forward position where it is engaged again with the tape to serve as a guid for the tape while the stitching progresses; when the stitching being applied approaches the point of its beginning the finger is disengaged from the tape and the stitching operation is completed; the finger being now in its retracted position is ready for a repetition of the sequence.

Upon completion of the stitching the material is removed from the machine, and the hem fold is turned to the inside as previously described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In the production, at the end of a portion of fabric forming a tube, of a hem with a tape included therein with free ends of said tape emerging from the hem through an eyelet in the fabric, the method which consists in inserting a loop of a length of tape through the eyelet from one side to the other of the fabric of the tube, folding the fabric edge at the end of the tube into a hem fold with the loop of tape lying within the fold, and stitching the fabric to form the hem fold into a. hem adapted to maintain the tape therewithin in a manner permitting the tape to serve as a draw string,

2. In the production, at an end of a portion of fabric forming a tube, of a hem with a tape included therewithin with free ends of said tape emerging from the hem through an eyelet formed in the margin of fabric included in the hem, the method which consists in inserting a loop of a length of tape through the eyelet from the outside to the inside of the fabric tube, enlarging the loop of tape to substantially match the perimeter of the fabric tube, folding the fabric edge at the end of the tube into a hem fold with the loop of tape lying within the fold, and stitching the fabric at the folded edge to form a hem adapted to maintain the tape therewithin in a manner permitting the tape to serve as a draw string.

3. In the production, at an end of a portion of fabric forming a tube, of a hem with a tape in-' cluded therewithin with free ends of said tape emerging from the hem through an eyelet formed in the margin of fabric included in the hem, the method which consists in inserting a loop of tape through the eyelet from the outside to the inside of the fabric tube, enlarging the loop of tape to match the perimeter of the fabric tube, forming a hem fold in the fabric edge with the edge margin of the fabric overlying a band of the fabric turned outside adjacent said edge margin with the loop of tape lying within the fold between said band and said edge margin, and stitching the fabric at the folded edge to form a hem enclosing the portion of tape between where the free ends thereof emerge from the eyelet.

4. In the production, at an end of a portion of fabric forming a tube, of a hem with a tape included therewithin with free ends of said tape emerging from the hem through an eyelet formed in the margin of fabric included in the hem, the method which consists in engaging a length of tape with a threading tool, inserting the threading tool with the bight of tape engaged thereby through said eyelet from the outside to the inside of the fabric tube, thereby forming a loop, enlarging the loop to substantially match the perimeter of the fabric tube, disengaging the threading tool from the loop of tape, folding the fabric edge into a hem fold with the loop of tape therewithin, engaging the threading tool with the tape within the hem fold to serve as a guiding finger, stitching the fabric fold to close the hem with the tape included therewithin from a point adjacent one side of the eyelet through which the free ends of the tape emerge around the fabric to a point on the opposite side of said eyelet, disengaging the threading tool or guiding finger from the tape, and stitching the fabric fold to complete the hem entirely around the fabric tube.

EVERETT E. CHAMPLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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